Writer: Jim Zub

Art: Rogé Antônio, Israel Silva, VC’s Travis Lanham, and E.M Gist

Price: $3.99

Release Date: October 21st, 2020

After an almost 7 month hiatus, CONAN THE BARBARIAN is finally back. Sure, we’ve seen the Cimmerian in other issues here and there, but not his own series. And, the worst part of all is trying to have fans remember the story that once was. Where were we before COVID derailed this series? And, can Jim Zub’s catch readers up fast? Let’s cut a swathe through CONAN THE BARBARIAN #15 by Jim Zub and find out!

If you’re interested in this comic or any of the others mentioned, simply click on the title/link to snag a copy through Amazon.

Well, Conan fans, he’s back! And Jim Zub’s spends about a page and a half wonderfully catching readers up as to what happened almost 7 months ago. To any reader interested in diving into CONAN THE BARBARIAN right now, you won’t miss a beat. That said, I still highly recommend reading the prior issues if you have the chance. But, Zub does a masterful job kicking this off with just enough narration to jog readers’ memories without saturating the comic with exposition.

Speaking of narration, Zub leans heavily on the inner thoughts of Conan this issue giving fans more insight into the barbarian’s feelings and ideas as he maneuvers the Crucible. At times, it did seem a bit overdone. But overall, when Conan talks too much in a comic, it takes away from his character. Therefore, Zub found a way to indulge readers through a fantastic story without taking away some of the attributes that define CONAN or his character.

Additionally, the art simply cannot be overlooked. Rogé Antônio does an amazing job strategically placing splash pages at the most appropriate times to reignite the reader’s attention back into the narrative. Furthermore, his artistic take on Conan fits the story wonderfully. For those that remember, Conan was meant to be younger and newer in his journey throughout this story arc and Antônio draws perfect to that standing. Action panels made sequences appear almost in motion while scenes meant to enlist emotion were drawn with such grace and dignity.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Lastly, this reviewer was genuinely surprised by the direction this issue takes, which was rather welcoming. Normally, I feel like I know what’s going to happen in a CONAN THE BARBARIAN issue. However, sneaky, tactful relationships were made, and the ending was very shocking. I’m rather intrigued to see how the next issue continues. It felt like this could have been the end to the arc… but it wasn’t. So, here’s to the next issue and I’m totally on board with the direction Zub’s and Antônio are taking. After Jason Aaron’s take, I’m interested in some newer, younger tales from the Cimmerian that hopefully shed some light on the character’s early development. If you’re interested in CONAN THE BARBARIAN, now is the perfect time to give it a try. Pick it up and let me know what you think.